With a little more than a week to go before the NHL draft, Blackhawks general manager Dale Tallon is holding his cards close to the vest.
Tallon said Wednesday the Hawks were still in the process of choosing among the top three North American skaters — Kyle Turris, Patrick Kane and James vanRiemsdyk. The Hawks will interview all three again next week before the draft June 22 in Columbus, Ohio.
Tallon said he had “an idea” whom he will take with the first overall selection but said he wouldn’t reveal it until he walked to the podium at Nationwide Arena.
One reason for that is the possibility of trading down for a player or an extra pick and still ending up with the player the Hawks want.
There have been rumors the Philadelphia Flyers, picking second, and the Phoenix Coyotes, picking third, have identified whom they want and are trying to move up to the top spot to assure they get him.
Tallon said he hadn’t talked with the Flyers or Coyotes about swapping picks but said he would be open to the possibility “if we got the player we wanted and something else.”
Trade talk has picked up a little since the end of the Stanley Cup finals, Tallon said, but no one has made Tallon an offer for the top pick.
Of the three, only Kane has said publicly he wants to play in the NHL next season. Turris and vanRiemsdyk have said they intend to play college hockey. It’s believed the Hawks are leaning toward Kane.
“The balance shifts because of a lot of issues,” Tallon said of determining the choice.
One issue that won’t be a factor is the bonus package draft picks get with their entry-level contract. Tallon said their selection will get the maximum package other No. 1s have gotten.
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The only question mark regarding Kane is his size at just 5 feet 10 inches, 160 pounds. But Tallon said Kane “doesn’t get knocked down. He goes into traffic. He’s not a perimeter player.”
One-timers
Tallon said the Hawks extended qualifying offers to all their restricted free agents with the exception of Nikita Alexeev. A deadline-day acquisition from Tampa Bay, Alexeev had two goals and no assists in 15 games with the Hawks and was a minus-3. “We took a shot,” Tallon said. “He just didn’t do anything for us.” … Tallon also said forwards Denis Arkhipov, Michael Holmqvist and Peter Bondra, all unrestricted free agents, would not be back. He added it appears center Michal Handzus would try free agency July 1.
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